For a conventional electrographic printer (image forming apparatus), JP Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2007-17724 discloses a technology that allows a user to properly replace a consumable item such as a toner for efficient usage of the consumable item.
In the technology disclosed in JP Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2007-17724, information for notifying the user of time to replace based on the consideration of a toner usage amount and a remaining amount thereof is output.
However, in a case where the conventional technology is applied to a color printer including plural colors of toners, when there is at least one toner to be replaced (toner with a small remaining amount), there is a possibility that a user (for example, an end user, a maintenance operation staff, etc.) may mistakenly replace a toner that is unnecessarily to be replaced (for example, toner with a sufficient remaining amount (life)). Also in a case of the conventional color printer, there is a possibility that a toner that is unnecessarily to be replaced may be replaced when another toner that is to be replaced is replaced.
Especially in a case of a conventional color printer to which so called a pay-as-you-go system that is a charge system based on the number of printed amounts (sheets), etc. is applied, there is a disadvantage that a maintenance staff replaces a toner unnecessarily to be replaced with a new one (new toner) only because it is a good opportunity for the maintenance staff to provide a service.
Therefore, for an information processing apparatus (for example, image forming apparatus such as a printer) including a plurality of consumable items (for example, toners, etc,), an information processing apparatus and control program that can promote efficient usage of the consumable items by a user are desired.